Montserrat Eruption

A contrasting case study to the Iceland eruption is the Montserrat eruption 1995-1997. There were no fatalities even though the country is a less economically developed country. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and soon buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than 12 metres of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and rendered the southern part of the island (the "exclusion zone") uninhabitable and not safe to travel in. The southern part of the island was evacuated and visits are severely restricted. The exclusion zone also includes two sea areas adjacent to the land areas of most volcanic activity (http://www.mvo.ms/). On 25 June 1997, nineteen people died when they were overtaken by a pyroclastic flow.

Before 1995 there was no record of the volcano on Montserrat erupting, that is why it was such a shock to the people of the Island. 1992 there was a small earthquake that was the start of the eruptions. In July 1995 the eruptions began, the people who lived on the island said that there was light ash fall, loud rumbling noises and also a sulphuric smell. The islands capital Plymouth was eventually evacuated in 1996…